Type-writing machine for the blind.



,PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905.

- J. B. HAMMOND.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE POR'THE BLIND.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21,1904.

III/6m) JAMES ,5. H'WMONU ANDREW a 011mm 50. mow-Lnwooawuins, wnswucrcn. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed October 21, 1904- Serial No. 229,444-

ToaZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. HAMMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-' Writing Machines for the Blind, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to typewriting machines for the blind, and I have shown it as adapted for use with the Braille system of point-writing, though I do not wish to limit myself in this respect.

It is the object of my invention to produce a type-writing machine of the form known as the Hammond, in which the type-shuttle will carry a series of points or groups of points 0 cooperate with a hammer having pits in its ace.

In carrying out my invention I aim to use a limited number of points or groups of points rigidly attached to the shuttle and to use only a limited number of keys of the ordinary keyboard, and from this limited number of points or groups of points the numerous characters of the Braille alphabet are formed.

The shuttle of my present invention is designed to be interchangeable with those of the ordinary Hammond type-writer, so that by placing this shuttle in the machine and operating a certain limited number of the keys any desired combination of points may be printed to form the Braille characters.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a shuttle carrying points and a hammer adapted to cooperate therewith,

these parts being well known in their general arrangement and operation are shown diagramatically, and in connection with this figure a chart is shown to illustrate the operation of the shuttle and the letter-space action of the machine in printing the Braille system. A keyboard is also shown in this figure. Fig. 2 is a face view of the hammer of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view of the shuttle developed. Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the work producedby the machine as viewed from the front or sunk side of the sheet, the said view being in the nature of a diagram.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the hammer-face is provided with two vertical rows of pits, three pits being'in each row.

The letters of the Braille system, as is well known, are made by using one or more of a group of six points, and the hammer is therefore provided with a group of six pits, from which any desired Braille letter may be formed by striking the paper into one or more of the said pits.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the shuttle has on each side of its center a series of points 1 2. These two series of points are duplicates of each other, and each series is composed of points and groups of points.

The-machine is operated by striking a key first on one side of the keyboard and then on the other side. The feed of the paper takes place the reverse of the ordinary feed, being in this instance from left to right of the machine as viewed from the front thereof.

Suppose, for instance, it is desired toprint the word Braille. This would appear when printed as viewed from the front of the machine, as in Fig. 4:, which represents the pitted or front side of the paper.

Now referring to Fig. 1 and supposing the paper to be feeding step by step in the direction of the arrows and supposing also that the several lines 3 to 15 represent the paper in the different stages of its advancement across the printing-point, the printing is begun by striking the key for the letter B on the left-hand side of the keyboard, which will bring the first half of the letter B to the first row of pits 16 of the hammer, and this impression will be taken. This effect is indicated diagrammatically on' the line 3 of the chart, which represents that one-half of the letter B has been printed. A letterspace action of the paper now takes place toward the right to an extent represented by the distance that the arrow-head on the lineet stands to the right of the arrow-head 3. This letter-spacing action has carried the one-half impression just made of the letter B toward the right to a point just beyond the range of the hammer. The proper key is now depressed on the keyboard at the right-hand side thereof, and the second half of theletter B, consisting of the single point shown in Fig. 4, will be brought opposite one of the pits of the right-hand series or row 17 so that the impression will now be made between this space action of the paper takes place toward the right, and the line 5 indicates the position of the sheet after this letter-space action has taken'place. The first half of the R is single point and one of the pits, and the said IIO now formed by striking a key on the lefthand side of the keyboard, thus swinging the shuttle toward the right, Fig. 1, to bring the proper point into line with one of the pits 16. In Fig. 1 the dotted lines 18 represent the imaginary divisional lines between the spaces or blocks on the paper, in which blocks the characters are printed, and the distances between these dotted lines represent also the distance the paper moves at each letter-spacing action, which is uniform. The first half of the letter R having been printed, as above described, and the paper having been moved to the right to the position indicated by line 6. the depression of the proper key on the righthand side of the keyboard will swing the type-shuttle towardthe left and" bring the proper letter-point opposite one of the pits 17. After completing the letter R the paper moves another step to the right, as shown by the line 7, and then by depressing a key on the left-hand side of the keyboard the shuttle is swung toward the right and an impression is made for the letter A in connection with one of the pits 16. Up to this point it will be noticed particularly that the letter-keys have been operated in succession and spaces have been left between the letters, as will be observed from the position of the letters B and R along the line 6. No operation of the space-key has been necessary in order to form the spaces between the letters. A proper space has been formed also between the letters R and A, as will be seen along the line 7.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the letter A is formed by a single point located to one side of the imaginary block or space assigned to the letter, and it therefore becomes necessary before operating the keys for making the letter I that the space-key be operated, and this action is indicated as taking place on the line 8, so that the paper is brought into position for receiving the letter 1, said position of the paper being indicated by the line 9. The letter I is now printed by striking first a left-hand key and then a right-hand key, after which the paper assumes the position indicated by the line 11 and is ready to receive the impression for the letter L. The letter-space between the letters I and L has been formed without the use of the space-key and simply by operating the keys for the letters I and L in succession.

The letter L, it will be noticed in Fig. 4:, is composed of three impressions arranged in a row at one side of the letter-block, so that after making the single-key stroke for the letter L it is necessary to operate the space-key, and this is true of all letters composed of a point or a group of points located only on one side of the letter block or space. Some characters, such as the apostrophe, are located on the opposite side of the imaginary block orspace from that upon which, for i nstance, the letter A is located. and in this case it will be necessary before depressing the key for printing the apostrophe to operate the space-key.

From the above it will be seen that theletter-spacing may go on uniformly and the keys for making many of the letters may be operated in succession and the letter-space between said letters will be formed automatically and without the operation of a spacekey. It will be noticed also that with a small number of points or groups of points on the shuttle various combinations may be made for forming the Braille characters.

In the drawings I have shown a series of seven points or groups of points on each side, and for bringing these to the printing-point seven keys on each side of the keyboard are employed, these preferably being the keysof the upper bank or row of that form of keyboard known as the Ideal.

The central line of the machine is indicated by the dotted line 19, Fig. 1, and by observing the zigzag line 20 the manner of operating the keyboard will be clear, the key-strokes occurring first on the left-hand side and then on the right-hand side of the keylmard until the key on the left is struck for the letter A. The space-key is then struck, then the key for the Braille letter I on the left of the keyboard, then the key on the right-hand side for the remaining part of said letter, and from this point only the keys on the lefthand side of the keyboard are struck, together with the space-key.

On the chart I have made a small inclined dash attached to the representations of the indentations in the paper, said dash pointing to right or left, so as to indicate whether a right-hand key or a left-hand one was used in the formation of the impression or indentation. A reversible hammer may be used and a reversible carriage, such as is disclosed in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 59,797, of May 11, 1901.

I claim as my invention 1. In a type-writer for the blind, a shuttle or carrier for the points, a pitted surface cooperating with the said points, the said points being arranged on the carrier in duplicate series, substantially as described.

2. A type-writer having a pitted surface and a shuttle or type-carrier having a number of point characters thereon, letter characters being formed by depressing a plurality of keys in succession, the said type-writer having uniform letter-spacin g movement after each key action producing automatically the spaces between component parts of the same character and the larger spaces between the characters, substantially as described.

3. A type-writer for the blind, having a pitted surface and in which the pits are arsoo,15o 7 3 points and the row of pits on the same side of the central line cooperating with eachI other, while not cooperating with those on the opposite side, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses. l I

r J AS. B. HAMMOND. Witnesses:

RosooE K. INeALLs', FANNIE FIsK. 

